Space Rangers
by GalacticTrooper954
Summary: You've seen the pilot movie, but do you know the real story? A mature taking on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command as he struggles with loss, an anti-social taking on life and his ultimate downfall from what he was starting off. Dig into the history of Buzz Lightyear and see as he progresses down the road and form the team we know now. Rated M for language and violence.


_This idea has been kicking around in my brain for sometime. You have no idea how much like a temper-tantrum child this fanfiction was to get out of my head and onto the computer. So here it is._

* * *

The room was white and sterile, all the white tile floors shining and reminding everyone in the room of the fact that they're in a civilized part of the world and not some backwater planet, unfortunately this efficient look was a bad position to put mental health cases in, however Star Command had to make due with the little resources it had due to budget cuts. Sitting on the opposite side is a large, muscular man with a shaved, bald head, looking down on the ground, sitting and leaned over as if ready to get up, but not quite just yet and he wore a brown leather jacket, a black t-shirt and jeans indicating that the man wasn't exactly from the sterile part of society that prefers the environment of the facility. Sitting on the opposite end sits a slightly attractive young woman, obviously to get service members more comfortable to talk.

"So what was your childhood like, Buzz?"

He cringes at her calling him by first name, shuddering at the recent events that just happened that made him come to this facility.

"Or Mr. Lightyear, if you're more comfortable with that." She realizes her error.

He sighs, "Thank you. Well I was raised on the planet Morph. My father was a Space Ranger and he died on a mission when I was in Middle School. I managed to make it through High School in between my mother working and supporting us. She later died from cancer. The thing is...I never really knew her. She was always working, so when she died...I just kind of felt...well relieved. The closest thing I had to a mother was Nana and she was well off. After that I joined the Galactic Marines right out of High School. I got bored after a bit, yeah we traveled to other planets, but it was just so frustratingly boring. I mopped, I swept the damn ship, but I never got any reward out of it...it was just mindless and I felt like I was wasting my time."

The man was clearly exhaling built in tension and regret from all the years he wasted in his years as a private. Then he sighs in content and obviously about to bring up good memories, "But then we traveled back to Capital Planet and we were given some leave. I stayed on Capital Planet not wanting to go back to Morph for any reason, Nana understands. She was at Nova Salon vacationing enjoying her life while she still has it. Meanwhile I just did my normal routine, bullshitted with my buddies, bitch about all the shitty details we had, got stupid drunk and carried back to my room and overall, I was still wasting my time. But then it hit me when I went to the bar one day and I saw a few guys, they were kinda out there but they were having a good time. Then they started sharing their war stories. How they got caught on planet Cronos, facing off against Zurg's elite forces and survived! At the time, you know that's almost impossible to hear of, but those guys did it and Zurg was pissed."

He laughs as if he won a victory against the mentioned figure then he continues, "And after hearing them I realized, I want to become a Space Ranger...so I joined them and...well it sucked at first. Day 1, I pack my bags and I get flown to Geo-Riguz and I think to myself, it isn't too bad. A lightly forested planet with temperate weather, it can't be bad. I was wrong."

_Flashback_

_A man in green camouflage fatigues, sleeves rolled up, muscles and veins bulging and neck veins bulging as well. The man appeared as if his skin could shred from him at any moment right now, but he was still intimidating. His blue eyes wide as if he saw a ghost, but that's just naturally how the soldier was._

_He says in his heavy southern draw, "Alright, now all ya'll are brand new to this shit here so don't be pulling fucking rank on anybody. You're all here for the same fucking reason, to fucking win. You're going learn how to do it. You're going to learn to endure the bullshit...not paperwork bullshit...I mean life's real bullshit it's going to throw to keep you defeated. Not all of you will fucking make it. In fact, I expect 90 % of you fucks to flunk out. If you do not want to endure badass training that can and will hurt you...leave the room now!"_

_The man didn't scream, but the tone convinced a few soldiers to leave the room, but leaving at least thirty guys or so within the room. The man looked around, "Well I'll give it to them for honesty and that's what I expect from all of you. No bullshitting, just dry cut honesty. This program is not for everybody and I'm not going to bullshit to you everyone needs it. There's a reason Space Rangers have never failed a mission and I mean never! For the past century, we kicked the living shit out of anyone who stood in our way...and now it's your turn to be a part of it. Welcome to Space Ranger Academy."  
_

_But that was only just the beginning. They weren't screamed at, this wasn't Basic Training. Some of the exercises included running at really long distances, and crawling through muddy terrain in nothing but fatigues already soaked from the rain earlier. It's like the instructors knew it was going to rain, maybe even controlled the rain. Doesn't sound crazy if you were in a simulated environmental system, but this wasn't the case. It was outside and the weather always fitted to the instructor's favor. For example, when they required for the soldier to train in extremely dry sand dunes, it was blazing hot and the sand was just hot enough to simulate crawling through in the actual desert...in shorts and a t-shirt with socks, but no shoes. It was an obstacle course of sand dunes, wooden towers to climb and traverse through and at the end they would pick their shoes up if they finished the course in under 20 minutes. Buzz made it in 18:05, he remembers that time with burning feet, sore muscles from the many times he used his arms to hoist himself over the obstacles and the PT (Physical Exercise) sessions they had and the relief he felt once his feet were inserted inside the shoes, hot burning grains of sand shaken from his socks._

_And weeks after weeks they endured physical endurance, from untying their selves...underwater with a weight sinking them down. What was the time limit? Until you passed out. How many people died? That number is classified. The only information allowed to be disclosed is that 90 % of the soldiers who sign up for Space Rangers fail...5 % dies trying. Then there would be other tasks such as actually operating the space suit...using the wrist weapon system to operating the jet pack.  
_

_Operating the jet pack was a frightening sequence for the average person, but for the trainees it was their time out of the nest, time for their wings to sprout. Buzz looks up at a scrawnier looking individual who seems to be unusually pale. Even in his compressed, vacuum sealed suit, his legs were shaking and he was the most nervous out of everybody else. He looks back up at Buzz with a faint smile. He asks with concern, "You going to be alright, Parsec?"_

_The man sighs, "Yeah, I'll be good. Just always stayed on a ship until it landed...not meet it at the ground." _

_He nods and assures, "You'll be alright, Parsec. Just trust your equipment."_

_The ship rumbled as if to rebuke that assurance and the whole room was illuminated by a red light. The same instructor who briefed them on their initial entry was the same instructor who would lead them in a air assault drill._

_"Alright, how many of you seen Iron Man?"_

_There were a few chuckles and smiles to affirm this man's question, "Alright, you notice how he moves his body weight around to maneuver the suit. Same thing, just use your weight and your equipment will do the work...maybe except you Parsec. You need to gain some damn weight!"_

_Everyone laughs including the previously frightened soldier. The instructor chuckles, "Don't worry, Ty. You'll be fine. Just remember the training."_

_There was a beep and the instructor looks up intently along with the rest of the crew. Then the light turns green and he barks, "You know what that means! Go, go, go!"_

_Each soldier jumps out one by one, not giving time to think as they jump out into the blackness of space, the suit heating up from entering the atmosphere, their suits protecting them from the atmospheric pressure. Then Buzz and Ty Parsec were in the same jump and together they leap into the atmosphere, head first descending into the atmosphere rushing past Buzz's helmet creating a lot of noise even the ear protection plus they were provided could hardly drown out the sound. Then he felt the speed lessen as he gradually shoots into the second layer of atmosphere. This was his time to activate his jet pack. Reaching for his button, his wings extend out and jets starting to whir as he continues to nosedive towards the planet. A rush of adrenaline overwhelms him as he finds himself speeding at a unrecorded speed towards the ground and if those thrusters weren't to activate...splat. And suddenly he feels a burst of speed and hears his jets explode and he hoists his body towards the sky and a rush of joy overwhelms him and he screams, "Holy shit Parsec, I'm flying!"  
_

_He hears a panicked scream on the other end, "My jets exploded!"_

_"Do what?!" He flies around in the clouds trying to shoot past the endless sea until he indeed sees a falling mass of black smoke that was his comrade. He thrusts his way downwards towards the falling ranger clearly panicking. He says in his helmet comm, "Parsec, I want you to detach your pack!" _

_He panics, "I can't, I'll fall!"_

_He barks, "You're falling now! Now detach your pack and latch onto mine!"_

_The man looks through his helmet hesitating and causing Buzz to bark, "Just do it!"_

_By pressing a green button, the pack detaches from the ranger's back leaving only a body to free fall towards the planet's surface until he grabs unto Buzz's wings, trying to be careful not to break the equipment, even if it was space equipment, the Government still made it._

_And after that Buzz began a descent towards a large green field of tall grass seeing other Rangers land smoothly or even do barrel rolls with their wrist-mounted blasters at the ready. He would not be able to perform such a trick and the instructor looks up to see the two and immediately he starts screaming, "Land now!"_

_Buzz had no other plans as he lowers his body and that almost seemed like a bad idea due to the other trainee's weight pulling them down too fast, causing the two to tumble into the ground, Buzz immediately having to slam the red button on his chest to keep the grass from catching fire. The instructor approaches them, "Parsec, where's your jet pack?!"_

_The young man was trembling and Buzz answered, "His pack exploded whenever he got in the atmosphere. I told him to detach it."_

_The man started breathing heavy then sighs, "Come with me...you too Parsec!"  
_

_The other rangers were led away by another instructor and meanwhile the two stood in his office in grey training fatigues, "Why shouldn't I fail the both of you two?"_

_Ty was clearly struggling to look for an answer, but Buzz sighs, "Sergeant, you have every right to boot us both from training. As you explained earlier, we lost a $ 30,000 piece of equipment and potentially caused a fire hazard, but I would do it again if it meant saving another life. I wasn't going to let Parsec die in an accident and watch. I'm not sure if that's what I'm supposed to do, but if that is then I'm not cut to be a Space Ranger."_

_The soldier explains all this all while remaining at Parade Rest and it was unclear what the man was thinking due to his unchanging expression and bulging blue eyes, but somehow you could tell his features softened. And he stands up and pats Buzz on the shoulder, "Kid, I never seen anyone do what you did and that's why people die. We lack men like you. So yeah, you lost some bullshit ass equipment, but you saved a life and you will not be booted, but Parsec!"_

_The scrawny soldier almost flinched, but remained at Parade rest while the larger figure towers over him and he sighs, "You got fucked by the government, but I'm not going to boot you because of it. You're alive because you listened and you both will be passing as Honor Graduates...but don't think I'm giving it to you. Your performance has earned it even before this incident, good job both of you."_

_And later on the two ended up graduating as Space Rangers in a class of 16 Rangers combat ready._

_End of Flashback_

Years down the road, Buzz was reminiscing back to his early Ranger days.

"Yeah, me and Ty became close after that. Yeah, he was a bit cynical, negative and almost a stick in the mud. That's where I loosened him up. We still talk to this day, him stationed over in Canis Lunis. He says it's pretty boring over there."

The mental health specialist was jotting down notes then she asks, "How about your recent loss?"

He sighs, "Yes...Darkmatter...he was a good friend..."

**_To be continued..._**

**_My mature take on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and this has been pounding around in my head for a while. Obviously, huh? Lol. This isn't a one shot deal, it's a commitment ;)_**


End file.
